Valve particularly adapted for beverage dispensers



June 19, 1956 EL ROY J. KRAFT 2,751,254

VALVE PARTICULARLY ADAPTEID FOR BEVERAGE DISPENSERS Filed NOV. 5, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 50 37 54 ITYFE 2712: 7-

June 19, 1956 EL ROY J. KRAFT 2,751,254

VALVE PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR BEVERAGE DISPENSERS Filed NOV. 5, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5a 54 1/; 61 R W 14 4 25 17 5& 1 56 5a 17 40 3734 M 7 Z7 53 24 W 60 45 E 4i 1 a 5? Z g5 g5 54 Q I 70 70 5? 54 IYTFE T: is?

United States Patent VALVE PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR BEVERAGE DISPENSERS El Roy J. Kraft, Des Plaines, Ill., assignor to The Dole Valve Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application November 5, 1951, Serial No. 254,865 4 Claims. (Cl. 299-150) This invention relates to improvements in liquid dispensers and more particularly relates to a measured quantity beverage dispenser for dispensing and mixing a meas ured quantity of syrup with a proportionate quantity of carbonated water.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a simplified form of liquid dispenser of a novel and eflicient construction arranged to deliver a measured quantity of liquid for mixture with a proportionate volume of a second liquid under pressure in a more expeditious manner than formerly.

Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved form of beverage dispenser having a simplified valve structure delivering a measured quantity of syrup and simultaneously supplying a proportionate volume of carbonated water for mixture with the syrup.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved form of valve member, wherein a single member serves to control the delivery of the syrup and the carbonated water for mixture with the syrup.

Still another and more detailed object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved form of capillary valve member providing a capillary passage for the carbonated water along its exterior and a valve seat for a syrup valve at its interior, and movable to deliver the carbonated water along the outside of the capillary and to open the syrup valve and deliver syrup through the inside of the capillary for mixture with the carbonated water at the delivery end of the valve.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved form of capillary valve member for dispensers of a simple and improved construction, wherein the valve is formed between the exterior of the capillary valve member and the interior of the housing therefor.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a capillary valve member of novel and improved construction contained within a capillary housing and sealed with said housing at its ends and movable to break the seal with said housing at one end thereof, and accommodate the carbonated water to pass thereby.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved capillary passage member for carbonated water including a capillary housing, a capillary member contained in the housing and movable with respect thereto and providing a spiral passage for the carbonated water along the interior of said housing and also breaking the seal with said housing to accommodate the carbonated water to pass thereby.

These and other objects of my invention will appear from, time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken through a beverage dispenser constructed in accordance with my invention, with certain parts thereof broken away;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken through the dispensing valve and capillary, showing the capillary and capillary housing removed from the ice tank and container casing; and

Figure 3 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 2, but showing the capillary and delivery valve in an open position, to deliver a proportionate mixture of syrup and carbonated water.

A companion application, Serial No. 254,864, filed herewith and now Patent No. 2,698,701 relates to a beverage dispenser similar to that of the present application, but differs therefrom in that the dispenser of my companion application dispenses a constant flow of syrup while that of my present application dispenses a measured quantity of syrup.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings 1 have shown generally a container 10 for the dispensing unit, having a refrigeration tank 11 contained therein, and spaced from the walls thereof and suitably insulated therefrom. Within the tank 11 I have shown a syrup tank or can 12, open at its top, above the top of the ice tank and having a sloping bottom 13 leading to an upwardly opening cup 14, secured thereto and depending therefrom. The syrup tank 12 and measuring cup 14 may be constructed from a suitable non-corrosive material and may be secured together with a smooth joint so as to avoid any crevices where bacteria may breed. One such material is stainless steel, which is particularly suitable since it may be finished with a relatively highly polished finish, and besides being easy to clean, may also serve as conductor of cold to retain the temperature. of the syrup at the desired temperature, particularly when the ice may be low in the ice tank.

The cup 14 is of a volume to hold a measured quantity of syrup, for discharge through a central opening 15 in the bottom of said cup. The central opening 15 is shown as communicating with a capillary housing 16, depending from said cup and leading through the bottom of the ice tank 11 and container 10. The capillary housing 16 forms a housing for a capillary valve member 17 and also forms a passageway for carbonated water between the interior of the wall thereof and an inwardly spaced exterior wall 53 of said valve member, as will hereinafter more clearly appear as this specification proceeds. The capillary valve member 17 is slidably mounted in a capillary housing 16 for vertical movement with respect thereto. into position to deliver carbonated water along the exterior of said capillary valve member, and syrup through the hollow interior of said capillary valve member.

The rim of the measuring cup 14 is shown as being beveled, the bevel thereof extending downwardly and inwardly thereof and forming a seat 18 for a disc valve 19. The valve 19 is herein shownas being a well known form of disc type valve having an inverted frustoconical valve surface engageable with the seat 18, and is mounted on a central hollow stem 20 extending upwardly and downwardly therefrom. The stem 20 is shown as being cross-drilled beneath the valve 19, as indicated by reference character 21, and has a vent tube 22 extending upwardly therefrom, to vent the inside of the measuring cup 14 to atmosphere, so as to alloW thev Syrup within the cup 14 to freely flow through the hollow interior of the capillary valve member 17 when the valve 19 is closed.

It should here be understood that the cup 14, when closed by the valve 19, holds a measured quantity or slug of syrup for mixture with a proportionate quantity of carbonated water, entering the capillary housing 16 through an inlet passageway 23' in the wall of said capillary housing. The inlet passageway 23 is shown as open ing downwardly into the space between the exterior wall 53 of the capillary valve member 17 and the interior wall of said housing for discharge through the lower end of said housing when said capillary valve member is in the open position shown in Figure 3.

The valve 19 is shown as having a stem 24 secured to the bottom of the stem 20 and depending therefrom and having a semi-spherical lower end forming a valve 25 engageable with a corresponding seat 26, mounted within the capillary valve member 17 and seated against a shoulder 27, adjacent the lower end of said valve member. Thus upon movement of the capillary valve member 17 downwardly to open the passageway through the bottom of the capillary housing 16, the valve 19 will move by gravity to engage the seat 18 and measure a slug of syrup for delivery through the hollow interior of the capillary valve 17. The seat 26 will also move downwardly with respect to the valve 25 and open said capillary valve member, for the discharge of syrup therethrough.

Carbonated water may enter the bottom of the container through a flexible tube 28, contained within a fitting 29 secured to and depending from the bottom of container 10 and secured thereto by an internally threaded nut 30. The nut 30 is supported by the flange of a flanged sleeve 31, suitably secured to and depending from the bottom of the container 10. A tube 32 has communication with the tube 28 and extends upwardly therefrom through a labyrinth passageway 29a formed in the bottom of the base tank 11 and providing a tortuous path for the carbonated water beneath the ice in said ice tank.

The flow of carbonated water may be shut off by means of an engaging member 33 on the end of a machine screw 34, threaded within a sleeve 35 extending at right angles to fitting 29, and extending therein into communication with the outer wall of tube 28. Thus, upon turning the screw 34 inwardly along the sleeve 35, the tube 28 may be pinched until the opposite sides of the interior wall are in engagement with each other and the tube is pinched closed.

The delivery end of the labyrinth passageway 29a has connection with a tube 35a leading to and connected within a fitting 36 secured to the capillary housing 16 and communicating with the passageway 23 leading to the interior of said housing. The fitting 36 is herein shown as having a seat 37 therein on the upstream side of a reduced area passageway 38 of said fitting. The seat 37 is shown as having a frustoconical seating surface 39 on its upstream side, which forms a seat for flow washer 40. The flow washer 40 operates on principles similar to that shown and described in Patent No. 2,454,929 which issued to Leslie A. Kempton on November 30, 1948, and flexes within the frustoconical seat 39, upon increases in pressure of the carbonated water. This results in a reduction in cross-sectional area of the orifice through said flow washer, and a constant delivery volume of carbonated water, regardless of variations in pressure thereof, as has been shown and described in the aforementioned patent to Leslie A. Kempton, so not herein described further.

Referring now to the capillary housing 16 and the capillary valve member 17, the housing 16 depends from the bottom of the measuring cup 14 and is suitably secured thereto with its hollow interior in communication with the outlet therein. Said capillary housing is shown as extending through a collar 41 interposed between the bottom of the ice tank 11 and the inside of the bottom wall of container 10 (Figure 1). An O-ring 42, seated in an outwardly opening groove formed in said capillary housing, is shown as engaging the inner periphery of the retaining collar 41, to seal the capillary housing thereto.

The inner periphery of the capillary housing 16 is shown as forming a stepped generally cylindrical chamber for the capillary valve member 17, and has an enlarged diameter upper portion forming a continuation of the opening 15, and an intermediate wall portion 43 extending downwardly therefrom and of a slightly reduced diameter and with the exterior of the capillary valve member 17 forming a capillary chamber. Said housing also has a reduced diameter lower end portion 44 having an inwardly opening groove 45 therein, within which is fitted a packing member such as an O-ring 46. The O-ring 46 is shown in Figures 1 and 2 as engaging an enlarged diameter portion or land 47 of the capillary 17 at the lower end thereof. When said O-ring is in engagement with said land, said land and ring form a valve to block the discharge of carbonated water from the bottom of said capillary housing. When the capillary valve number 17 is moved downwardly within the housing 16 to move the land 47 below the O-ring 46 as shown in Figure 3, carbonated water may be freely discharged past the O-ring 46 in the form of an annular stream for mixture with the syrup at the discharge end of said capillary.

it should here be noted that since the O-ring 46 is seated in the interior wall of the housing 16, the pressure of the carbonated water will act on said O-ring in a direction to force it within the groove 45 when the valve is open, and afford a free passage of carbonated water thereby.

The capillary valve member 17 is herein shown as being of a tube-like formation, fitting within the capillary housing 16 and having an enlarged diameter upper end portion 48 having an O-ring 49 seated therein and engaging the inner wall of the capillary housing 16, to seal said wall against the leakage of syrup thereby and against the how of carbonated water into the syrup tank 12. Just beneath the upper end portion 48 of the capillary valve member 17 is a reduced diameter portion 50 having an O-ring 51 seated therein and engaging the reduced diameter wall 43 of the capillary housing 16 and sealing said wall against the passage of fluid thereby.

The lower margin of the upper end portion 48 of the capillary member 17 is shown as abutting an inverted frusto-conical shoulder 52 formed in the capillary housing 16, to limit downward movement of the capillary valve member 17. Immediately below the reduced diameter portion 50 of the capillary valve member 17 is the reduced diameter wall portion 53, which with the inner wall 43 of the capillary housing 16 forms an annular chamber for the carbonated water.

The reduced diameter portion 53 of the capillary valve member 17 terminates into an outwardly spaced spiral passage 54, restricting and imparting a relatively high velocity spiral flow to the carbonated water as it passes by the open valve formed by the land 47 and the O- ring 46.

When the valve is closed, carbonated water under pressure in the annular chamber formed between the capillary valve member 17 and the inner wall of the housing 16 will exert pressure against the upper end of the land 47, tending to move the valve into an open position and against the lower end of the enlarged diameter portion 50 of said capillary valve member, tending to move the valve into closed position. Since the elfective area of the enlarged diameter portion of said capillary valve member is greater than the effective area of the upper end of the land 47, the tendency will be for the pressure of the carbonated water to hold the capillary valve member 17 closed.

The lower end of the capillary valve member 17, just beneath the land 47, is shown as being threaded and as having a nozzle 56 threaded thereon on a transverse wall 57 thereof. The nozzle 56 extends upwardly and downwardly from the transverse wall 57 in the form of generally cylindrical walls and the upwardly extending wall portion thereof encircles the lower end portion of the capillary housing 16. A sealing ring 58 is interposed between the exterior of the capillary housing 16 and the interior of the upwardly extending wall portion of the nozzle 56 to seal said upper wall portion of said nozzle to said housing and prevent the discharge of carbonated water through the top thereof, when the capillary valve member 17 is in the open position shown in Figure 3. An annular battle 59 of an inverted frusto-conical formation, is shown as being mounted on the lower endof the capillary valve member 17 and as being retained thereon by the nozzle 56. The frusto-conical bafile 59 serves to deflect the annular stream of carbonated water discharged from the end of the housing 16 outwardly as it is discharged past the seal 46 and land 47, to still the carbonated water for discharge through the bottom of the nozzle 56. The transverse wall 57 is shown as being provided with a plurality of vertical passageways 60, 60 extending vertically therethrough, for the passage of carbonated water therethrough in a relatively quiescent state for mixture with the syrup passing through the central portion of the capillary valve member 17.

The upper end of the upper wall portion of the nozzle 56 also forms a stop, to limit upward movement of the capillary valve member 17. A nut 61 is herein shown as being threaded on the lower end of the capillary valve member 17, and as abutting the bottom of the wall 57 and serving as a locknut, to lock the nozzle 56 to said capillary valve member.

The capillary valve member 17 may be moved vertically along the capillary housing 16 by means of an operating lever 65 (Figure l). The operating lever 65 is pivoted at its inner end on a pivot pin 66 supported between ears 67, depending from the bottom of container 10. The operating lever 65 may be of a bifurcated form and may extend along opposite sides of the nozzle 56 and may be trunnioned thereto, as by trunnion pins 69, 69 pivotally engaging drilled recesses 70, 70 formed at opposite sides of said nozzle and extending within the transverse wall 57 thereof. From thence the lever 65 may extend outwardly and upwardly along the wall of container into a convenient location for operation by the hand.

In operation of the dispenser, when pressure is exerted on the upper end of the lever 18, to depress said lever, the nozzle 56 and capillary valve member 17 will move downwardly along the interior of the capillary housing 16. At the same time the valve 19 will move downwardly with said capillary valve member into engagement with the sealing surface 18 on the rim of the measur* ing cup 14, and trap a measured quantity or slug of syrup within said measuring cup and the hollow interior of the capillary valve member 17. The valve 25 will also be unseated from the valve seat 26, and syrup within the measuring cup 14 will be released to flow downwardly through the hollow interior of the capillary valve member 17. The land 47 will also move downwardly out of engagement with the O-ring 46, and carbonated water will flow through the spiral capillary passage 54 and downwardly in the space between said O-ring and the land 47 in the form of an annular stream into engagement with the deflecting surface of the annular bafile 59. This will deflect the carbonated water toward the wall of the nozzle 56, from whence it will pass downwardly through the passageways 6060 and through the bottom of the nozzle 56 for mixture with the syrup passing from the lower end of the capillary valve member 17 in a relatively quiescent state.

As just described, a measured amount of syrup will be discharged for mixture with carbonated water, equal to the volume of the syrup in cup 14 and the hollow interior of the capillary valve member 17, above the seat 26 thereof. A measured volume of carbonated water, proportionate to the syrup, the flow of which is governed by the flow control valve or washer 40, will also mix with the syrup as it passes by the lower end of the capillary valve member 17 and flows into the container therefor.

As herein shown, the cup 14- supplies enough syrup to be mixed with carbonated water to make an average palatable drink. The volume of the measuring cup 14 may, of course, be varied to supply larger or smaller quantities of syrup, as desired, and upon varying the volume of the measuring cup the flow control washer 40 6 may be recalibrated, to assure a proportionate flow of carbonated water for mixture with the syrup.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A valve comprising a vertically extending housing having an interior cylindrical wall, a discharge outlet leading from the lower end of said housing, an inlet for liquid leading into said housing through said wall intermediate the ends thereof, a valve member movable within said housing and having wall portions at opposite end portions thereof engageable'with said interior cylindrical wall and an intermediate portion spaced inwardly from said cylindrical wall, a sealing ring within said housing and engaging the wall portion at the lower end portion of said valve member, for sealing said valve member to the lower end of said cylindrical wall, means for moving said valve member out of engagement with said sealing ring to provide a flow passage along said cylindrical wall to accommodate the delivery of liquid to said discharge outlet, and baflle means on said valve member spaced beneath said discharge outlet in alignment with said cylindrical wall in the flow path of liquid delivered through said discharge outlet and inclined with respect to said housing to deflect the liquid passing through said discharge outlet outwardly with respect thereto.

2. A capillary valve member comprising a housing having an inner cylindrical wall and a discharge outlet leading from the lower end of said housing, a passageway leading to the interior of said housing through said wall intermediate the ends thereof to admit fluid thereinto, a capillary valve member within said housing and mounted therein for slidable movement along said cylindrical wall, means sealing said capillary valve member to said cylindrical wall adjacent each end thereof, the wall of said capillary valve member between said sealing means being of reduced diameter and the space between said sealing means and the interior of said housing forming a capillary chamber having a reduced area spiral passageway extending therealong for a portion of the length thereof, means for moving said capillary valve member out of engagement with the lower of said sealing means to open the corresponding end of said housing for the passage of fluid through said discharge outlet, and an inverted frustoconical baffle on said capillary valve member spaced beneath said discharge outlet and in direct alignment therewith, said baflle being inclined from said valve member upwardly toward the discharge outlet of said housing to deflect fluid discharged through said discharge outlet upwardly toward and outwardly with respect to said housing.

3. A capillary valve member comprising a vertically extending housing having an interior cylindrical wall terminating into a discharge outlet at the lower end of said housing, a passageway leading to the interior of said housing through said cylindrical wall to admit carbonated water thereinto, a capillary valve member within said housing and mounted therein for slidable movement along said wall, vertically spaced sealing means sealing said capillary valve member to said interior wall of said hous ing adjacent each end of said housing, said capillary valve member having an outer wall between said sealing means of a reduced diameter and the space between said outer wall and said interior wall forming a capillary chamber having a reduced area spiral passageway extending along said capillary chamber for a portion of the length thereof, means for moving said capillary valve member out of engagement with the sealing means at the lower end of said wall, to open said discharge outlet for the passage of carbonated water therethrough, a nozzle spaced beneath said discharge outlet and secured to the end of said capillary valve member and extending along and sealed to the exterior wall of said housing for a portion of the length thereof, an annular bafile on said capillary valve member within said housing and beneath and in direct alignment with said discharge outlet, said bafile being inclined from said valve member upwardly toward said discharge outlet to deflect the carbonated water discharged from said discharge outlet outwardly and toward said outlet, and said nozzle having passageways for the discharge of carbonated water therethrough.

4. In a capillary valve member, a vertically extending capillary housing having a discharge outlet leading from the lower end thereof, a capillary valve member movable within said housing and having a central passageway leading therethrough, a passageway for carbonated water leading through the wall of said capillary housing intermediate the ends thereof, spaced sealing means sealing said capillary valve member with said capillary housing, said capillary valve member having a reduced diameter intermediate outer wall portion having a spiral reduced area capillary passageway extending therealong for a portion of the length thereof, a nozzle secured to the lower end of said capillary valve member beneath said discharge outlet and extending upwardly along the lower end portion of said capillary housing, and being sealed thereto, said nozzle having a wall portion spaced beneath and extending across the discharge outlet from said capillary housing and having spaced passageways for carbonated water leading therethrough, and a bafile on said capillary valve member spaced beneath said discharge outlet and extending partially over said passageways leading through said wall portion of said nozzle in registry with said discharge outlet and being inclined upwardly with respect to said wall portion and outwardly from said nozzle to provide a baffle surface to deflect the carbonated water passing through said discharge outlet toward said discharge outlet and outwardly into engagement with the wall of said nozzle prior to passing through said passageways through said wall portion of said nozzle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,540,962 7 Stuart June 9, 1925 1,737,233 Gritfiths Nov. 26, 1929 2,217,835 Corbin Oct. 15, 1940 2,360,733 Smith Oct. 17, 1944 2,454,595 Cramer, Jr Nov. 23, 1948 2,522,898 Sanborn Sept. 1, 1950 2,537,119 Bauerlein et al Jan. 9, 1951 

